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NASA NTRS2005

Stardust@home: A Massively Distributed Public Search for Interstellar Dust in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

In January 2006, the Stardust mission will return the first samples from a solid solar system body beyond the Moon. Stardust was in the news in January 2004, when it encountered comet Wild2 and captured a sample of cometary dust. But Stardust carries an equally important payload: the first samples of contemporary interstellar dust ever collected. Although it is known that interstellar (IS) dust penetrates into the inner solar system [2, 3], to date not even a single contemporary interstellar dust particle has been captured and analyzed in the laboratory. Stardust uses aerogel collectors to capture dust samples. Identification of interstellar dust impacts in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector probably cannot be automated, but will require the expertise of the human eye. However, the labor required for visual scanning of the entire collector would exceed the resources of any reasonably-sized research group. We are developing a project to recruit the public in the search for interstellar dust, based in part on the wildly popular SETI@home project, which has five million subscribers. We call the project Stardust@home. Using sophisticated chemical separation techniques, certain types of refractory ancient IS particles (so-called presolar grains) have been isolated from primitive meteorites (e.g., [4] ). Recently, presolar grains have been identified in Interplanetary Dust Particles[6]. Because these grains are not isolated chemically, but are recognized only by their unusual isotopic compositions, they are probably less biased than presolar grains isolated from meteorites. However, it is entirely possible that the typical interstellar dust particle is isotopically solar in composition. The Stardust collection of interstellar dust will be the first truly unbiased one.

Westphal, Andrew J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination IX: High-Speed Interstellar Dust Analog Capture in Stardust Flight-Spare Aerogel

The NASA Stardust mission used silica aerogel slabs to slowly decelerate and capture impinging cosmic dust particles for return to Earth. During this process, impact tracks are generated along the trajectory of the particle into the aerogel. It is believed that the morphology and dimensions of these tracks, together with the state of captured grains at track termini, may be linked to the size, velocity, and density of the impacting cosmic dust grain. Here, we present the results of laboratory hypervelocity impact experiments, during which cosmic dust analog particles (diameters of between 0.2 and 0.4 lm), composed of olivine, orthopyroxene, or an organic polymer, were accelerated onto Stardust flight spare low-density (approximately 0.01 g/cu cm) silica aerogel. The impact velocities (3-21 km/s) were chosen to simulate the range of velocities expected during Stardust's interstellar dust (ISD) collection phases. Track lengths and widths, together with the success of particle capture, are analyzed as functions of impact velocity and particle composition, density, and size. Captured terminal particles from low-density organic projectiles become undetectable at lower velocities than those from similarly sized, denser mineral particles, which are still detectable (although substantially altered by the impact process) at 15 km/s. The survival of these terminal particles, together with the track dimensions obtained during low impact speed capture of small grains in the laboratory, indicates that two of the three best Stardust candidate extraterrestrial grains were actually captured at speeds much lower than predicted. Track length and diameters are, in general, more sensitive to impact velocities than previously expected, which makes tracks of particles with diameters of 0.4 lm and below hard to identify at low capture speeds (<10 km/s). Therefore, although captured intact, the majority of the interstellar dust grains returned to Earth by Stardust remain to be found.

Stardust↗
NASA NTRS2007

Stardust in STARDUST - the C, N, and O Isotopic Compositions of Wild 2 Cometary Matter in Al foil Impacts

In January 2006, the STARDUST mission successfully returned dust samples from the tail of comet 81P/Wild 2 in two principal collection media, low density silica aerogel and Al foil. While hypervelocity impacts at 6.1 km/s, the encounter velocity of STARDUST, into Al foils are generally highly disruptive for natural, silicate-dominated impactors, previous studies have shown that many craters retain sufficient residue to allow a determination of the elemental and isotopic compositions of the original projectile. We have used the NanoSIMS to perform C, N, and O isotope imaging measurements on four large (59-370 microns diameter) and on 47 small (0.32-1.9 microns diameter) Al foil impact craters as part of the STARDUST Preliminary Examination. Most analyzed residues in and around these craters are isotopically normal (solar) in their C, N, and O isotopic compositions. However, the debris in one large crater shows an average 15N enrichment of approx. 450 %, which is similar to the bulk composition of some isotopically primitive interplanetary dust particles. A 250 nm grain in another large crater has an O-17 enrichment with approx. 2.65 times the solar O-17/O-16 ratio. Such an O isotopic composition is typical for circumstellar oxide or silicate grains from red giant or asymptotic giant branch stars. The discovery of this circumstellar grain clearly establishes that there is authentic stardust in the cometary samples returned by the STARDUST mission. However, the low apparent abundance of circumstellar grains in Wild 2 samples and the preponderance of isotopically normal material indicates that the cometary matter is a diverse assemblage of presolar and solar system materials.

Stadermann, Frank J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Stardust in STARDUST - the C, N, and O Isotopic Compositions of Wild 2 Cometary Matter in Al Foil Impacts

In January 2006, the Stardust mission successfully returned dust samples from the tail of comet 81P/Wild 2 in two principal collection media, low density silica aerogel and Al foil. While hypervelocity impacts at the Stardust encounter velocity of 6.1 kilometers per second into Al foils are generally highly disruptive for natural, silicate-dominated impactors, previous studies have shown that many craters retain sufficient residue to allow a determination of the elemental and isotopic compositions of the original projectile. We have used two NanoSIMS ion microprobes to perform C, N, and O isotope imaging measurements on four large (59-295 micrometer diameter) and on 47 small (0.32-1.9 micrometer diameter) Al foil impact craters as part of the Stardust Preliminary Examination. Most analyzed residues in and around these craters are isotopically normal (solar) in their C, N, and O isotopic compositions. However, the debris in one large crater shows an average N-15 enrichment of approx. 450%o, which is similar to the bulk composition of some isotopically primitive interplanetary dust particles and to components of some primitive meteorites. A 250 nm grain in another large crater has an O-17 enrichment with approx. 2.65 times the solar O-17/O-16 ratio. Such an O isotopic composition is typical for circumstellar oxide or silicate grains from red giant or asymptotic giant branch stars. The discovery of this circumstellar grain clearly establishes that there is authentic stardust in the cometary samples returned by the Stardust mission. However, the low apparent abundance of circumstellar grains in Wild 2 samples and the preponderance of isotopically normal material indicates that the cometary matter is a diverse assemblage of presolar and solar system materials.

Stadermann, Frank J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination VII: Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of Six Stardust Interstellar Candidates Measured with the Advanced Photon Source 2-ID-D Microprobe

The NASA Stardust spacecraft exposed an aerogel collector to the interstellar dust passing through the solar system. We performed X-ray fluorescence element mapping and abundance measurements, for elements 19 < or = Z < or = 30, on six "interstellar candidates," potential interstellar impacts identified by Stardust@Home and extracted for analyses in picokeystones. One, I1044,3,33, showed no element hot-spots within the designated search area. However, we identified a nearby surface feature, consistent with the impact of a weak, high-speed particle having an approximately chondritic (CI) element abundance pattern, except for factor-of-ten enrichments in K and Zn and an S depletion. This hot-spot, containing approximately 10 fg of Fe, corresponds to an approximately 350 nm chondritic particle, small enough to be missed by Stardust@Home, indicating that other techniques may be necessary to identify all interstellar candidates. Only one interstellar candidate, I1004,1,2, showed a track. The terminal particle has large enrichments in S, Ti, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Zn relative to Fe-normalized CI values. It has high Al/Fe, but does not match the Ni/Fe range measured for samples of Al-deck material from the Stardust sample return capsule, which was within the field-of-view of the interstellar collector. A third interstellar candidate, I1075,1,25, showed an Al-rich surface feature that has a composition generally consistent with the Al-deck material, suggesting that it is a secondary particle. The other three interstellar candidates, I1001,1,16, I1001,2,17, and I1044,2,32, showed no impact features or tracks, but allowed assessment of submicron contamination in this aerogel, including Fe hot-spots having CI-like Ni/Fe ratios, complicating the search for CI-like interstellar/interplanetary dust.

Stardust↗
NASA NTRS2014

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination IV: Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscopy Analyses of Impact Features in the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

We report the quantitative characterization by synchrotron soft X-ray spectroscopy of 31 potential impact features in the aerogel capture medium of the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector. Samples were analyzed in aerogel by acquiring high spatial resolution maps and high energy-resolution spectra of major rock-forming elements Mg, Al, Si, Fe, and others. We developed diagnostic screening tests to reject spacecraft secondary ejecta and terrestrial contaminants from further consideration as interstellar dust candidates. The results support an extraterrestrial origin for three interstellar candidates: I1043,1,30 (Orion) is a 3 pg particle with Mg-spinel, forsterite, and an iron-bearing phase. I1047,1,34 (Hylabrook) is a 4 pg particle comprising an olivine core surrounded by low-density, amorphous Mg-silicate and amorphous Fe, Cr, and Mn phases. I1003,1,40 (Sorok) has the track morphology of a high-speed impact, but contains no detectable residue that is convincingly distinguishable from the background aerogel. Twenty-two samples with an anthropogenic origin were rejected, including four secondary ejecta from impacts on the Stardust spacecraft aft solar panels, nine ejecta from secondary impacts on the Stardust Sample Return Capsule, and nine contaminants lacking evidence of an impact. Other samples in the collection included I1029,1,6, which contained surviving solar system impactor material. Four samples remained ambiguous: I1006,2,18, I1044,2,32, and I1092,2,38 were too dense for analysis, and we did not detect an intact projectile in I1044,3,33. We detected no radiation effects from the synchrotron soft X-ray analyses; however, we recorded the effects of synchrotron hard X-ray radiation on I1043,1,30 and I1047,1,34.

Dust↗
NASA NTRS2014

Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination X: Impact Speeds and Directions of Interstellar Grains on the Stardust Dust Collector

On the basis of an interstellar dust model compatible with Ulysses and Galileo observations, we calculate and predict the trajectories of interstellar dust (ISD) in the solar system and the distribution of the impact speeds, directions, and flux of ISD particles on the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector during the two collection periods of the mission. We find that the expected impact velocities are generally low (less than 10 km per second) for particles with the ratio of the solar radiation pressure force to the solar gravitational force beta greater than 1, and that some of the particles will impact on the cometary side of the collector. If we assume astronomical silicates for particle material and a density of 2 grams per cubic centimeter, and use the Ulysses measurements and the ISD trajectory simulations, we conclude that the total number of (detectable) captured ISD particles may be on the order of 50. In companion papers in this volume, we report the discovery of three interstellar dust candidates in the Stardust aerogel tiles. The impact directions and speeds of these candidates are consistent with those calculated from our ISD propagation model, within the uncertainties of the model and of the observations.

interstellar↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Stardust Mission

The Stardust Mission session included the following reports:The Stardust:A Successful Encounter with the Remarkable Comet Wild 2; Stardust Imaging of Comet Wild 2: First Look; Preliminary Results from the Dust Flux Monitoring Instrument During the Encounter of Stardust Spacecraft with Wild-2 Comet; Streaming Clumps Ejection Model and the Heterogeneous Inner Coma of Comet Wild 2; Stardust: First Results from the Cometary and Interstellar Dust Analyzer; STARDUST Sample Collection at Wild 2 and Its Preliminary Examination; Stardust Dynamic Science at Wild 2: First Look; and Preliminary Sample Analysis Plan for the Cometary and Interstellar Samples Being Returned by the Stardust Spacecraft.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

History of Nebular Processing Traced by Silicate Stardust in IDPS

Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP-IDPs) may be the best preserved remnants of primordial solar system materials, in part because they were not affected by parent body hydrothermal alteration. Their primitive characteristics include fine grained, unequilibrated, anhydrous mineralogy, enrichment in volatile elements, and abundant molecular cloud material and silicate stardust. However, while the majority of CP-IDP materials likely derived from the Solar System, their formation processes and provenance are poorly constrained. Stardust abundances provide a relative measure of the extent of processing that the Solar System starting materials has undergone in primitive materials. For example, among primitive meteorites silicate stardust abundances vary by over two orders of magnitude (less than 10-200 ppm). This range of abundances is ascribed to varying extents of aqueous processing in the meteorite parent bodies. The higher average silicate stardust abundances among CP-IDPs (greater than 375 ppm) are thus attributable to the lack of aqueous processing of these materials. Yet, silicate stardust abundances in IDPs also vary considerably. While the silicate stardust abundance in IDPs having anomalous N isotopic compositions was reported to be 375 ppm, the abundance in IDPs lacking N anomalies is less than 10 ppm. Furthermore, these values are significantly eclipsed among some IDPs with abundances ranging from 2,000 ppm to 10,000 ppm. Given that CP-IDPs have not been significantly affected by parent body processes, the difference in silicate stardust abundances among these IDPs must reflect varying extents of nebular processing. Here we present recent results of a systematic coordinated mineralogical/isotopic study of large cluster IDPs aimed at (1) characterizing the mineralogy of presolar silicates and (2) delineating the mineralogical and petrographic characteristics of IDPs with differing silicate stardust abundances. One of the goals of this study is to better understand the earliest stages of evolution of the Solar System starting materials.

Messenger, Scott R.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Detection of Cometary Amines in Samples Returned by the Stardust Spacecraft

The delivery of amino acids to the early Earth by comets and their fragments could have been a significant source of the early Earth's prebiotic organic inventory that led to the emergence of life (Chyba and Sagan, 1992). Over 20 organic molecules including methane, ethane, ammonia, cyanic acid, formaldehyde, formamide, acetaldehyde, acetonitrile, and methanol have been identified by radio spectroscopic observations of the comae of comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake (Crovisier et al. 2004). These simple molecules could have provided the organic reservoir to allow the formation of more complex prebiotic organic compounds such as amino acids. After a 7-year mission, the Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth samples from comet Wild 2 on January 15, 2006 providing the opportunity to analyze the organic composition and isotopic distribution of cometary material with state-of-the-art laboratory instrumentation. The Preliminary Examination Team analyses of organics in samples returned by Stardust were largely focused on particles that impacted the collector aerogel and aluminum foil (Sandford et al. 2006). However, it is also possible that Stardust returned a "diffuse" sample of gas-phase organic molecules that struck the aerogel directly or diffused away from the grains after impact. To test this possibility, samples of Stardust flight aerogel and foil were carried through a hot water extraction and acid hydrolysis procedure to see if primary amine compounds were present in excess of those seen in controls. Here we report highly sensitive liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry measurements of amino acids and amines in samples returned from a comet (Glavin et al. 2008). A suite of amino acids and amines including glycine, L-alanine, methylamine (MA), and ethylamine (EA) were identified in the Stardust bulk aerogel. With the exception of MA and EA, all other primary amines detected in comet-exposed aerogels were also present in the aerogel witness tile that was not exposed to Wild 2, suggesting that most amines are terrestrial in origin. However, the enhanced abundances of MA, EA, and possibly glycine in comet-exposed aerogel compared to controls, coupled with MA to EA ratios (1 to 2) that are distinct from preflight aerogels (7 to 10), suggest that these amines were captured from Wild 2. It is possible that MA and EA were formed on energetically processed icy grains containing methane, ethane, and ammonia. The presence of cometary amines in Stardust material supports the hypothesis that comets were an important source of prebiotic organics on the early Earth. To better understand their origin, a systematic compound specific carbon isotopic analysis (C-CSIA) via gas chromatography quadrupole mass spectrometry in with parallel with combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCQMS/ IRMS) is being conducted. We will discuss our latest C-CSIA measurements and what they indicate about the origin of amino acids extracted from Stardust samples.

Glavin, Daniel P.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Detection of Cometary Amines in Samples Returned by the Stardust Spacecraft

The delivery of amino acids to the early Earth by comets and their fragments could have been a significant source of the early Earth's prebiotic organic inventory that led to the emergence of life (Chyba and Sagan, 1992). Over 20 organic molecules including methane, ethane, ammonia, cyanic acid, formaldehyde, formamide, acetaldehyde, acetonitrile, and methanol have been identified by radio spectroscopic observations of the comae of comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake (Crovisier et al. 2004). These simple molecules could have provided the organic reservoir to allow the forn1ation of more complex prebiotic organic compounds such as amino acids. After a 7 -year mission, the Stardust spacecraft returned to Earth samples from comet Wild 2 on January 15, 2006 providing the opportunity to analyze the organic composition and isotopic distribution of cometary material with state-of-the-art laboratory instrun1entation. The Preliminary Examination Team analyses of organics in samples returned by Stardust were largely focused on particles that impacted the collector aerogel and aluminum foil (Sandford et al. 2006). However, it is also possible that Stardust returned a "diffuse" sample of gas-phase organic molecules that struck the aerogel directly or diffused away from the grains after impact. To test this possibility, samples of Stardust flight aerogel and foil were carried through a hot water extraction and acid hydrolysis procedure to see if primary amine compounds were present in excess of those seen in controls. Here we report highly sensitive liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectron1etry measurements of amino acids and amines in samples returned from a comet (Glavin et al. 2008). A suite of amino acids and amines including glycine, L-alanine, methylamine (MA), and ethylamine (EA) were identified in the Stardust bulk aerogel. With the exception of MA and EA, all other primary amines detected in comet-exposed aerogels were also present in the aerogel witness tile that was not exposed to Wild 2, suggesting that most amines are terrestrial in origin. However, the enhanced abundances of MA, EA, and possibly glycine in comet-exposed aerogel compared to controls, coupled with MA to EA ratios (1 to 2) that are distinct from preflight aerogels (7 to 10), suggest that these amines were captured from Wild 2. It is possible that MA and EA were formed on energetically processed icy grains containing methane, ethane, and ammonia. The presence of cometary amines in Stardust material supports the hypothesis that comets were an important source of pre biotic organics on the early Earth. To better understand their origin, a systematic compound specific carbon isotopic analysis (C-CSIA) via gas chromatography quadrupole mass spectrometry in with parallel with combustion isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-QMS/IRMS) is being conducted. We will discuss our latest C-CSIA measurements and what they indicate about the origin of amino acids extracted from Stardust samples.

Glavin, Daniel P.↗
NASA NTRS1996

From Stardust to Planetesimals: Contributed Papers

On June 24 through 26, 1996, a scientific conference entitled From Stardust to Planetesimals was held at the Westin Hotel, Santa Clara, California, as part of the 108th annual meeting of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Over the last decade, our understanding of the formation and early evolution of the solar system has advanced considerably due to progress that has been made simultaneously on many fronts. Stardust has been isolated in meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDP's), providing us with sample materials which predate the solar system and which offer clues to the processing that has occurred. At the same time, infrared studies have led to a better characterization of the composition of interstellar dust, which is now readily accepted as an important component of the interstellar medium infrared observations have also provided a much better view of the star-formation process and the role of dust therein. Recently, the presence of Kuiper Belt planetesimals has been confirmed and spectroscopy of these rather pristine objects may soon become available. Analysis of spacecraft data from the Comet Halley flybys has yielded a wealth of information on the composition of this comet. These observational advances have changed our understanding of planetesimal processing. The launch of the Infrared Space Observatory, the opening of 10-meter class telescopes, and, in the longer term, the Rosetta mission, promise to continue to broaden and deepen our understanding of the evolution from stardust to planetesimals. For these reasons we considered it timely to organize a meeting focused on the processes that connect stardust and planetesimals. The goal of this meeting was, therefore, to bring together astronomers interested in star- and planet-formation, planetary scientists studying early solar system relics, laboratory scientists studying the processing of analogs, and scientists analyzing meteorites and interplanetary dust particles, grain by grain. As a result of this endeavor, over 200 participants, including 153 scientists from 14 different countries, gathered to discuss the origin and evolution of stardust. We hope that this encounter in Santa Clara will foster an ongoing interchange of information and ideas within this diverse group of scientists. A major aim of this meeting was to produce conference proceedings which reflect the current situation regarding the evolution from stardust to planetesimals.

Kress, M. E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Nucleosynthesis and the Isotopic Composition of Stardust

Various components have been isolated from carbonaceous meteorites with an isotopically anomalous elemental composition. Several of these are generally thought to represent stardust containing a nucleosynthetic record of their birthsites. This paper discusses the expected isotopic composition of stardust based upon astronomical observations and theoretical studies of their birthsites: red giants and supergiants, planetary nebulae, C-rich Wolf-Rayet stars, novae and supernovae. Analyzing the stardust budget, it is concluded that about 15% of the elements will be locked up in stardust components in the interstellar medium. This stardust will be isotopically heterogenous on an individual grain basis by factors ranging from 2 to several orders of magnitude. Since comets may have preserved a relatively unprocessed record of the stardust entering the solar nebula, isotopic studies of returned comet samples may provide valuable information on the nucleosynthetic processes taking place in the interiors of stars and the elemental evolution of the Milky Way.

Tielens, Alexander G. M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

A Participating Scientist Program for the STARDUST Mission

It is the Policy of NASA s Office of Space Science to emphasize and encourage the addition of Participating Scientist Programs (PSP s) to broaden the scientific impact of missions. A Participating Scientist Program for the STARDUST Mission: STARDUST is the fourth Discovery mission, and it is the first sample return mission selected within the Discovery Program. The STARDUST Spacecraft will fly through the coma of comet PIwildt-2 in early January 2004, and return the samples to the Earth in January 2006. The Principal Investigator of the STARDUST mission, Dr. Donald Brownlee, has generously requested the implementation of a PSP for STARDUST in order to provide more community participation in the initial characterization and analysis of the samples from PIwildt-2. In particular participating scientists will fill out the membership of the Preliminary Examination Team (PET) called for in the original 1994 STARDUST proposal accepted by NASA in 1995. The work of the PET will be organized around major subdiscipline areas such as mineralogy and petrology, isotopic abundances, and elemental composition. There will be leaders for each of these areas, and also a number of team members within each. Support will be commensurate with the level of participation.

Morgan, T. H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Electron Beam Analysis of Micrometeoroids Captured in Aerogel as Stardust Analogues

In January 2004, NASA s Stardust spacecraft passed through the tail of Comet 81P/Wild-2. The on-board dust flux monitor instrument indicated that numerous micro- and nano-meter sized cometary dust particles were captured by the dedicated silica aerogel capture cell. The collected cometary particles will be returned to Earth in January 2006. Current Stardust analogues are: (i) Light-gas-gun accelerated individual mineral grains and carbonaceous meteoritic material in aerogels at the Stardust encounter velocity ca.approximately 6 kilometers per second. (ii) Aerogels exposed in low-Earth orbit (LEO) containing preserved cosmic dust grains. Studies of these impacts offer insight into the potential state of the captured cometary dust by Stardust and the suitability of various analytical techniques. A number of papers have discussed the application of sophisticated synchrotron analytical techniques to analyze Stardust particles. Yet much of the understanding gained on the composition and mineralogy of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) has come from electron microscopy studies. Here we discuss the application of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for Stardust during the preliminary phase of post-return investigations.

Graham, G. A.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Optical Spectroscopy of Stardust Samples

The Stardust spacecraft collected dust samples of the Kuiper belt comet 81P Wild-2 in aerogel and returned them to Earth January 15, 2006. Preliminary examination (PE) of the collected dust includes teams focused on mineralogy, chemical composition, isotopic measurements, organic analysis, cratering and spectroscopic properties. The main PE science goals are to provide an initial characterization of the returned samples with an emphasis on the capture process and its effects on the samples, a comparison of Stardust samples to other meteoritic materials, and the abundance of presolar materials in the Stardust samples. The science objectives of the Spectroscopy team are to obtain spectroscopic data on Stardust particles through infrared (IR), UV/Vis and Raman measurements of particles in aerogel, extracted particles, keystones, and microtome thin sections. These data will be used to answer fundamental science questions about the nature of the samples, but will also serve as preliminary mineralogical data to guide follow-on measurements that will be performed in the other preliminary examination teams. The IR characteristics of Stardust particles are measured to determine: 1) the nature of the indigenous 3.4 micron organic feature, is it detected and can it be differentiated/deconvolved from the contaminated aerogel? How does it compare to features observed in interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and to astronomical measurements of comets and interstellar dust? 2) the shape and fine structure within the 10 micron silicate feature. Overlap with the strong Si-O stretching vibration from the aerogel complicates this analysis, but we hope to determine if the feature is dominated by amorphous silicates such as those observed in IDPs and comets and whether or not crystalline silicates (e.g. olivine, pyroxene, clays) are present, 3) the presence of secondary (alteration) phases. Deep Impact results suggest that IR observations of Stardust particles should be evaluated for the presence of hydrated materials (water bands at 3 and 6 microns) and carbonates (6.8 microns and other resonances) and 4) the detection of crystalline features in the far-IR (20-100 microns) region where crystalline silicates and other minerals have strong bands that can be used both for phase analysis and phase chemistry. It has been demonstrated that these far-IR measurements can be obtained in situ on particles in aerogel keystones.

Keller, Lindsay P.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Stardust Abundance Variations among Interplanetary Dust Particles

Presolar grain abundances reflect the degree of processing primitive materials have experienced. This is evidenced by the wide range of silicate stardust abundances among primitive meteorites (~10 to 300 ppm) [1], attributable to parent body hydrothermal processing. Stardust abundance variations are also pronounced in anhydrous interplanetary dust particles (CPIDPs), that have not experienced parent body processing (300 to > 10,000 ppm) [2-4]. The large range in stardust abundances among CP IDPs thus reflect nebular processing. Here we present results of a systematic search for stardust among cluster CP IDPs. Our goals are to establish mineralogical trends among IDPs with different stardust abundances. This may shed light into the nature of isotopically normal presolar grains (GEMS grains?; 5) if their abundances vary similarly to that of isotopically exotic stardust grains.

Messenger, S.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Maneuver Analysis and Targeting Strategy for the Stardust Re-Entry Capsule

The Stardust Sample Return Capsule (SRC) returned to Earth on January 15, 2006 after seven years of collecting interstellar and comet particles over three heliocentric revolutions, as shown in Figure 1. The SRC was carried on board the Stardust spacecraft, as shown in Figure 2. Because the spacecraft was built with unbalanced thrusters, turns and attitude control maintenance resulted in undesirable delta-v being imparted to the trajectory. As a result, a carefully planned maneuver strategy was devised to accurately target the Stardust capsule to the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). This paper provides an overview of the Stardust spacecraft and mission and describes the maneuver strategy that was employed to achieve the stringent targeting requirements for landing in Utah. In addition, an overview of Stardust maneuver analysis tools and techniques will also be presented.

targeting↗